Hanover County, VA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

Section 26-277(b) of the Zoning Ordinance covers signs, other than the destination commerce signs addressed separately in subsection (e), that are erected to be visible from Interstate highways. These signs are not permitted by right; they require a special exception from the Board of Supervisors, and the underlying property must be contiguous with the Interstate right-of-way or with the right-of-way of a frontage road along the Interstate. The signage is restricted to identifying a national, regional or statewide corporate headquarters or distribution facility, or a unique facility such as King's Dominion in Doswell, and only one detached sign is allowed per qualifying frontage.

Size is scaled to the facility: a facility under 250,000 square feet of floor area is capped at 100 square feet of sign area, rising in steps to 500 square feet for a facility over one million square feet. The sign's height must be appropriate to the height of the facility and the surrounding topography, but in no case can it exceed forty feet. The Board must also find the sign harmonious with the surrounding neighborhood and the on-site facility, its materials must be approved by the Board, its placement must incorporate landscaping, and if externally lighted, the light source cannot be visible from the Interstate or any other public roadway and must be aimed downward.